Hi All - I've never tried this and want to start adding simple aerial flyovers of wedding venues - i currently have a GoPro3 Black and wonder what would be your recommendation for a simple 'starter. drone that I could use with my GoPro. I'm guessing just a drone wouldn't be sufficient and I'll need a gimbal as well?

Cheers

Pete

Hi Peter,

You will need a gimbal but if you've never flown something like this before make sure you spend enough time learning to fly first, it's not easy to get good shots and if you lose gps or any kind of auto pilot you need to be fully able to fly manually. You will need to be very proficient at flying before trying to do any filming at weddings.

John.

Cheers John - Yes I'd make sure I knew what I was doing before I let loose at a wedding - I was thinking of venue shots anyway and not guests - I would only use it when the guests are having the wedding breakfast as that's when I usually get my venue shots anyway.

Any tips on which combination of drone/gimbal would be good for this sort of thing?

Pete

Hard to beat the simplicity and portability and flight time of the Phantom 2. There are uncountable other options if you'd also like this to become your "hobby" - it's quite addictive.

I've been impressed with the footage of the Phantom 2 Vision+ with the integrated camera. Being able to just clip your phone onto the remote for live video FPV seems really great when you just need to get the shot and move on. That and there's no GoPro to worry about charging up or forgetting to turn on. The quality difference to my eye is negligible in normal daytime shooting conditions...

I think the vision is more limited than using the phantom with h3-3d, vision + addresses some of those issues with the 3 axis stabilisation. I would say phantom with h3-3d, gopro hero3+ with downlink and black pearl monitor would get you going and is what I use and is has been pretty much plug and play. Below is a video I did from a car run this past weekend, lots of phantom footage in it :)

Ferrari Owners Clun run to Cromlix House on Vimeo

John.

Looks great John. Your combo definitely works great!

I guess I meant Vision 2+ if it makes any difference. Then again, if you already have a GoPro...

I think the vision is more limited than using the phantom with h3-3d, vision + addresses some of those issues with the 3 axis stabilisation. I would say phantom with h3-3d, gopro hero3+ with downlink and black pearl monitor would get you going and is what I use and is has been pretty much plug and play. Below is a video I did from a car run this past weekend, lots of phantom footage in it :)

Ferrari Owners Clun run to Cromlix House on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/95040809)

John.

John, your go pro footage looks fantastic!

may i ask what your settings are on the go pro?

John, your go pro footage looks fantastic!

may i ask what your settings are on the go pro?

I'm also interested.. it looks better than anything I've ever shot with my GoPro!

John, your go pro footage looks fantastic!

may i ask what your settings are on the go pro?

Hi Tom/Jody,

My gopro settings are really simple, shooting 1080 medium, 25p, no protune, everything else is as it was as standard. Nothing done to the gopro footage in post.

John.

Excellent video John! And to everyone: I think this is a fantastic example of how aerial videography has dramatically pushed production quality for amateur and low-end professional videographers. How John mixed the aerial shots in with a variety of other shots is a textbook example of what a difference even just a few aerial shots make. From the opening aerial establishing the locale, the aerials immediately say to the viewer, "This is going to be worth watching!" :)

If I can extend my soapbox spiel a bit longer...John's video also proves the viability of the GoPro for professional productions. I laughed when he said he used no special settings. This isn't to knock anyone here, but rather to say we've reached a point in video production where content and how cameras are used is more important than the equipment itself. In the case of John's video, I think the excellent editing along with the variety of shots (aerials, handheld, vehicle-mounted cameras, etc.) "convinces" our eyes that the quality of the video footage itself is superior.

@Peter: I just went through the research/decision process for this. In the end, I would have chosen the Phantom 2 Vision Plus for it's incredible all-in-one convenience. I ended up going with a Phantom 2 package (using the GoPro and 3-axis gimbal) instead just because I wasn't spending my money. :) (But if I were, I'd have gone with a Vision Plus!)

Scott

Thanks Scott :)

John.

we've reached a point in video production where content and how cameras are used is more important than the equipment itself.

Honestly Scott, it's been that way forever. Hehe. We've been saying for a long time here on DVInfo that "content is king".

But I do understand what you really meant with that statement. Very good image making equipment is now within the reach of most any budget. When I got my iPhone 5s last fall, I recorded some outdoor fall foilage with an app that uses less compression than the built in camera app and my jaw dropped when I viewed it on a large HD monitor.

Regards,

-gb-

been looking at the Phantom Vision + - would be ideal for flybys and establishing shots etc. Does anyone know what the quality of the included camera is like?

I saw a thing that would take a heavier camera, but i dont know if i'd trust myself to hang my 5D Mk 3 off it

been looking at the Phantom Vision + - would be ideal for flybys and establishing shots etc. Does anyone know what the quality of the included camera is like?

I saw a thing that would take a heavier camera, but i dont know if i'd trust myself to hang my 5D Mk 3 off it

From the footage I've seen online, the included camera looks comparable to the GoPro 3 in terms of image quality, but doesn't offer the same high resolution and frame rate options.

Personally if I was going to buy another Phantom, I'd go for the Phantom 2 with H3-3D gimbal and stick a GoPro to it.

been looking at the Phantom Vision + - would be ideal for flybys and establishing shots etc. Does anyone know what the quality of the included camera is like?

I saw a thing that would take a heavier camera, but i dont know if i'd trust myself to hang my 5D Mk 3 off it

You don't start out flying your 5D3, you start flying a GoPro and practicing a lot so when you gain enough experience and enough understanding of how MR's are built you can trust its capability and your ability to fly your it.

There's not a lot of aerial in this video, only about ten shots, its more about how it was accomplished and where it was shot.

The SuperX Quad had a powered tether, so the shots were almost straight up and down and couldn't go above the height of the hanger, about 40'. We had to stay within about an 8' box and had a couple of TSA officers right there with us. They were great, everyone had a good time. Unfortunately the 2-axis gimbal and Canon 60D was a bit more than the tether electronics could take and it fried.

This was shot for the volunteers who worked on this B24 so most of the video is of them working on the plane. I was hoping to be able to shoot the plane without anyone there but as things often do all this took a little longer than planned so I didn't stay to shoot it.

I have no idea why DJI thought it was a good idea to provide a camera for the Vision 2+, it doesn't make sense. At least with a GoPro you can use it for a lot of different applications.

B24J Liberty "Witchcraft" on Vimeo

I have no idea why DJI thought it was a good idea to provide a camera for the Vision 2+, it doesn't make sense. At least with a GoPro you can use it for a lot of different applications.


I personally think that it's a cost-effective solution for hobbyists who don't own a GoPro. A quadcopter with a 3-axis gimbal and decent camera for ~$1200 is a pretty good deal I think.

However for professionals, the Phantom 2 and a GoPro is the better choice.